
Private Charters
Your group. Your boat. Your Red Sea.
Charter the whole boat — or just half. Better price than individual spots, with a custom itinerary designed around your group. Full or half charter available.
Cheaper per person than booking individual spots.
A charter is a flat fee for the boat — the more people in your group, the less each person pays. With a decent-sized group, it works out cheaper per head than everyone booking their own spot on a scheduled trip. And instead of sharing the boat with strangers on a fixed itinerary, you get an exclusive vessel on a route you designed.
Don’t have enough people for the whole boat? A half charter gives you half the cabins at a fixed group rate — we fill the remaining spots with individual bookings. You still get your group together, your own cabin block, and input on the itinerary. It’s the easiest way to get started.
Why charter
Your boat, your rules.
Whether you’re organising a club trip, running a photography workshop, or building your own dive travel programme — a charter puts you in control. You set the route, the pace, and the on-board experience. We provide the vessel, the crew, and the operations.
Custom Route
You tell us where you want to dive. Brothers and Daedalus for hammerheads. Elphinstone for oceanic whitetips. Thistlegorm for wrecks. Or a combination your group has been talking about for years. We design the week around your goals, not a standard schedule.
Your Pace
Some groups want four dives a day and a night dive. Others want three dives, long surface intervals, and time on the top deck in the evenings. A charter means the schedule fits your group — not the other way around.
Mixed Experience Levels
Beginners and advanced divers on the same boat is standard for us. We run separate dive plans with dedicated guides for each group. Technical divers have their own zone on the dive deck. Everyone dives at their own level.
Genuinely New Boat
M/Y Celesta is a 2026 build. Your group will be among the first to sail her. Hand-built wooden hull, Swedish-designed interiors, purpose-built dive deck. Not a boat that’s been repainted and remarketed — a boat built from scratch by people who dive.
Full-service charter
You organise the group. We organise everything else.
Whether this is your first charter or your tenth, whether you’re based in the UK, Europe, or the other side of the world — you don’t need to know how liveaboard logistics work in Egypt. That’s our job. You tell us what your group wants. We design the trip, plan every dive, brief the crew, and handle every detail from the moment your group lands in Hurghada to the moment they fly home. All you need to do is get your people to the airport.
A typical day
What a charter day looks like
Your schedule, your pace. This is a typical day on a BDE charter — your itinerary can be adjusted to match your group’s goals and energy level.
Dawn briefing and first dive — peak visibility and undisturbed marine life
Surface. Hot drinks and breakfast on the main deck
Second dive — your guide briefs the site, depths, and what to look for
Surface interval. Lunch served in the lounge or on the high deck
Third dive — afternoon light on the reef wall, or a wreck if the route includes one
Free time. Tea on the top deck. Camera maintenance. Nap. Your call
Optional fourth dive or night dive depending on the site and group energy
Dinner. Log dives. Plan tomorrow. Stars from the high deck
Stargazing far from city lights. The Milky Way. Sleep comes easy at sea.
Before you ask
We have heard these before.
“We don’t have enough people for the whole boat.”
You don’t need the whole boat. A half charter gives your group half the cabins at a fixed rate — we fill the remaining spots with individual guests. Your group still travels together with input on the itinerary.
“Our members are at different levels.”
That’s the norm, not the exception. We handle mixed groups on our scheduled trips every week. On a charter, we build the dive plan around your exact mix from day one.
“What if someone drops out?”
The charter is a flat fee — your group decides how to split it. If someone drops, the rest split a slightly larger share, or you find a replacement. We can help source one from our network.
“I want to run my own trips and sell spots to my clients.”
Many of our charter clients do exactly that — instructors, dive centres, and trip organisers who charter the boat at a flat rate and sell individual spots at their own price. The margin is yours. We provide the vessel, crew, and operations.
“How far ahead do we need to book?”
For the best experience, we recommend securing full charters 6–9 months in advance, as availability fills up quickly—especially during the most sought-after periods.
“We’ve never organised a liveaboard trip before.”
You don’t need to know how. Tell us your dates and group size, and we handle everything — itinerary, dive planning, logistics, catering, transfers. You just need to get your people to Hurghada.
Your vessel
We built this boat. We know every system on board.
M/Y Celesta is a 2026 new build — hand-built wooden hull with light steel reinforcements, dual main engines, and Swedish-designed interiors. We own her. No charter swaps, no shared fleets, no hand-me-down equipment. When something needs maintenance, we decide what gets done and when. That accountability is the whole point.
The captain has final authority on all route and weather decisions. Every voyage starts with a comprehensive safety briefing for all guests. Dive insurance is mandatory — no exceptions.
The process
From idea to expedition in three steps.
Start a conversation
Tell us your preferred dates, group size, and where you want to dive. WhatsApp or email — you’ll speak directly with the owner, not a bookings agent.
We design your trip
We build a tailored itinerary, confirm pricing, and give you everything you need to present it to your members — including a breakdown per person and a route overview you can share.
Board and dive
We handle transfers, gas logistics, catering, and dive ops. You handle getting your people to Hurghada airport. Everything else is on us.
Pricing
Transparent pricing, no hidden fees
We quote a flat charter price based on your route, duration, and whether you want the full boat or a half charter. You split the cost however you like among your group — the more people, the less each person pays. With a full group, per-person cost comes in lower than booking individual spots on a scheduled trip. Full charter: exclusive use of the entire vessel, all 12 cabins, full control over itinerary and schedule. Half charter: your group books half the cabins at a fixed rate; we fill the remaining spots with individual guests. Everything is included: all cabins, all meals, guided dives, Nitrox, marine park fees, Hurghada airport transfers, and a professional crew of 12. One transparent quote, no fuel surcharges, no surprises.
- All cabins — configured for your group size
- Full board meals and beverages
- Guided dives with dedicated dive guides
- Nitrox for all certified divers
- Marine park fees and permits
- Hurghada airport transfers
- Professional crew of 12
Common questions about charters
Charter pricing depends on your itinerary, duration, group size, and specific requirements. Contact us with your dates and goals and we will provide a detailed, transparent quote — no hidden fees. Most groups split the cost per person, which often works out comparable to individual bookings on scheduled trips.
Celesta accommodates up to 24 guests across 12 cabins. For a charter, the entire boat is yours — you can bring fewer guests for a more spacious experience or fill all 24 spots for best per-person value.
That is the whole point of a charter. Tell us where you want to dive, what you want to see, and how long you want to be out — and we will design a route around your goals.
We quote a total charter price. How your group splits it is up to you. Most organisers divide equally by the number of guests. We can provide individual invoicing for each guest if that helps.
Our cancellation policy allows for reasonable notice periods. If a guest drops out, we can help you find a replacement through our network, or the group can redistribute the cost.
Yes. Celesta offers full technical diving support: Nitrox, Trimix blending, CCR-friendly operations, and Sofnolime. We can arrange dedicated tec diving programmes with an experienced professional technical diver aboard.
3 to 6 months minimum, especially for peak season (September through November). Contact us early to secure your preferred dates — we can hold dates while you finalise group details.
Absolutely. Most of our scheduled expeditions already run mixed rec/tec groups with separate dive plans and dedicated guides. On a charter, we tailor the operation to your group’s exact mix.
M/Y Celesta is a 2026 new build with dual main engines, two dual-engine speedboats, SOLAS-rated life rafts with EPIRB, hardwired fire detection on all decks, emergency oxygen and AED, and satellite communication. We own the boat — no charter swaps. Dive insurance is mandatory for all guests.
More ways to experience Celesta
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